Birth of Hope
by Samantha Gold
Summary: Set in Crystal Tokyo of the future, this story deals with the time and the paradoxes it can create. A nice mother/daughter fic.


****

Birth of Hope  
By Samantha Gold

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters. The idea is mine entirely, however. 

**AN:** I know that a lot of the information in this fic is incorrect. That's because I wrote it under misguided pretenses. Please read it anyway and try to enjoy it for the story it is meant to be. Feedback is very much appreciated.

December 4, 3010

She had done it. She had lived the past thousand years of her life in the name of love and in the name of justice. Over the years there had been joy and there had been pain. So much pain. The pain of losing her best friends. The pain of losing her love. But greater than all of those was the loss of her only child. For she had been able to bring her best friends back to life as she had been able to bring back the man she had been promised to for over a millennia before they had actually been brought together in marriage. But she couldn't bring back her daughter.

It had been several hundred years since she had watched, helpless, as the young scout had disappeared from her arms, turning to sparkles in the wind. She couldn't undo that which was never done. For Rini had disappeared not because of death, but lack of life. Her conception had never taken place because of circumstances that she had simply not been strong enough to control. Darien couldn't remember her now, couldn't remember since his revival from death. No one could remember. But she wouldn't, couldn't forget. Ever.

She continued to fight. Differently then she had as Sailor Moon, Super Sailor Moon, or Eternal Sailor Moon. She was the strongest she had ever been, but she was no longer on the front line. She was Queen of Crystal Tokyo, Neo-Queen Serenity.

Yes, Crystal Tokyo had come. It had its cost, of course. A very high price she'd been forced to pay, but pay she had. And now, it was paying off. Not just for her, but for the world as a whole.

That wasn't to say that her life hadn't turned out amazingly. She and Darien had married and she was expecting. Though as much as her heart wanted to believe that she could be carrying Rini within her body, her head knew better. Knew that she was due in two weeks, on December the eighteenth, but she could clearly remember Rini's birthday falling in the spring – June thirtieth, to be exact.

She let a single tear make its course down her cheek, then brushed it away absently with the pad of her thumb. She missed her little girl, it was true, but she knew that no matter what, she would love the child growing within her womb with all her heart – did love the child. She rubbed her belly affectionately with her right hand.

"I'm waiting for you, little one," she whispered before her eyes gently closed and she fell into sleep.

*** * * * ***

_December 18th, 3010_

The Neo-Queen gasped as a pain unlike any she had ever known tore through her body. It wasn't the worst pain she'd experienced by far, but she still clutched her husband's hand tight enough to cut off his circulation. He managed to keep up his brave front, nevertheless, and smiled painfully as he began to lose the feeling in his paw.

"It's going to be okay, Serena," Mina murmured comfortingly as she stroked the back of her Queen's other hand.

Seven of the eight Sailor Scouts were gathered around Neo-Queen Serenity and her King, offering various words of comfort and assurances – even Raye. Aside from her husband and the pair of guardian cats, the Scouts were the only members of the privileged few with permission to call the Queen so informally.

Amy was in another, separate room, preparing to deliver the royal baby. She entered the room wearing her doctor's coat and a tiny mask over her mouth and nose. She didn't do much medical work, despite being one of the very best, if not _the_ best doctor in all of Crystal Tokyo. For Amy was known to most as Sailor Mercury and, as a Sailor Scout, she was most often occupied with far more important tasks.

A royal birth was incredibly high on that list, however, and as the official doctor of the royal family, it was her duty to deliver Serenity's baby. She motioned to the other Scouts to back up a little and allow some space so that she could go about the delivery, which they did, albeit grudgingly.

Sometime later, with little screaming on Serenity's part thanks to the strength she'd acquired in her lengthy lifetime, Amy placed the wide-eyed baby girl wrapped in a soft pink blanket in the tired Queen's arms.

Serenity urged her weary eyes open, wanting nothing more than to see the wonder she had brought into the world. She was quite amazed to see that the curious eyes that met hers were cinnamon-coloured and the thin tuft of hair that sat on her newborn daughter's head was pink. Cotton candy pink. Her lips parted and a sigh escaped them in her shock.

"What is it? Worried I've figured out you're cheating on me because of her colouring?" Endymion asked, his voice held a teasing tone.

She laughed softly and shook her head.

"No, I'm just…in awe," she told him. Rini had come back to her…

He lifted a tentative hand, touching it to the newborn's face and cupped it softly.

"I know the feeling," he whispered. "She's beautiful…just like her mother." A faint blush tinted Serenity's cheeks. "Let's name her after you."

"Me?" The Queen echoed. "Name her Serenity?"

He nodded, "We can call her Rini for short, to avoid confusion. What do you think?"

"I'd love that." She smiled, placing her hand on top of her husband's.

* * * * *

_December 19th, 3010_

Not very surprisingly, for those that knew her well anyway, Neo-Queen Serenity was up and about the day immediately following the labour, a pink bundle in her arms. She slipped down the halls of the crystal palace quietly, her feet making but the barest of hint of a sound on the corridor floors.

She stopped when she reached a door marked by an odd backward-shaped nine. The symbol of Pluto. She entered the room swiftly and was not at all shocked to see Trista waiting for her. She knelt and bowed her head, murmuring, "Your majesty."

"Do drop the formalities," Serenity said tiredly. Of all the Scouts, the timekeeper was the most formal, despite her many requests that she be treated as a friend before a queen.

Trista nodded and stood. "I knew you would come."

"I knew that you knew," she responded. "But I'll state my purpose despite that. Why was I lead to believe that Rini was taken from me permanently? Why can the others not remember? Please answer me, Pluto."

"Time is a fragile thing, Serenity," Trista sighed. "When Rini was sent back in time, many paradoxes were created and you, the King, and the Scouts knew too much of the future. The entire world was in jeopardy, highness, so the future had to be 're-set', so to speak. As you know, I have already locked the gates of time to prevent any further damage. It was the first thing I did when I returned. Subsequently, I removed memories of Rini from everyone's minds – with the exception of ours. My memory must stay intact, as it is my destiny to know all of time and to protect it. Yours…well, under normal circumstances I suspect it would have been, but you and the neo-princess share an amazing bond. I trust that you will cherish it."

"You know I will," she murmured. She gazed down at her daughter's innocent face and felt her mouth twist upwards in a loving smile. She dipped her head to place a light kiss on Rini's forehead, then held her close to her body once more. She turned her attention back to Trista. "What _did_ happen to her then? Why did she cease to exist? This is so confusing…"

She smiled warmly. "She didn't cease to exist. She was sent back to the future, where she belonged, without any recollection of that event. She simply assumed that it had been time for her to return."

"But why is this different?"

"Time is liquid, still not set. There are millions of possible timelines and she came from but one. I told you that time is fragile, but it is also amazingly complicated."

"I understand," Neo-Queen Serenity nodded absent-mindedly. "Thank you, Trista."

"My life is to serve you," she responded greatly, then watched as Serenity left the chamber without another word. "The princess is born, time has set its course. Her guardian will arrive shortly and fate can direct the passage."

Serenity could remember what she had been told in her precious time with Rini and her few short visits to the future, but this was a new future – the true future. Amazing things awaited the royal family and all of Crystal Tokyo. It would never be easy and it had just begun, leaving one question.

"Is she ready?" Trista wondered aloud, before leaving the room, much the way her Queen had.

_The End_


End file.
